Frequently Asked Questions

Why "love, June"? Who is June?

June is my grandmother. She is always an elegant and classy lady with an understated yet chic style that I find myself emulating more and more as I get older. June isn't fussy, but she is never boring. Always well dressed and well tailored, she has always encouraged my ventures in design. This is my thank you to her.

How do I know if custom is right for me?

I find that women who are interested in having a custom gown made have either looked extensively at gowns at traditional bridal salons and are totally burnt out, or know exactly what they want and don't want to waste their time looking for a substitute. There really is no "typical" custom client, but the common thread is a desire for something special that they have pictured in their minds and can't really find anywhere else. The bride is the real designer, I just bring it to life.

How long does it take to make a custom dress?

It really depends on the design of the dress, the type of fabric used, and the availability of both the client and the designer. I have had people bring me the fabric and pattern they wanted, and I can make it up in just a couple of weeks with one fitting. Most dresses, however, take numerous fittings before the dress is actually put together. I like to give 6 months start to finish, that way you can make changes along the way as you become more familiar with the dress and it can be fit to your body as those changes occur. Shorter lead times are possible as my schedule allows.

Why is this dress so expensive? It's so simple!

Custom dresses involve a lot of work behind the scenes. The dress will require several fittings in a muslin fabric to finalize the design and cut of the gown and assure that the fit will be perfect. Preparation for these fittings is often several hours of pattern work. Some fabrics are very difficult to work with and require more of a time commitment and skill level. All of my dresses are handmade right here in the production level of The Bridal Loft. This gives me the greatest control over quality and detail to ensure that the dress you receive will be worth every penny invested. For more information on the process of custom dressmaking, please feel free to contact me!

What if I just want you to put the dress together from a pattern and fabric that I have already purchased?

I would love to! Having a pattern and fabric takes a lot of work out of my hands, which allows me to lower the price of the dress significantly. We will still have a fitting or two, but the patternwork and fabric shopping has already been done, which saves me a lot of time and allows me to focus on the construction of the garment.

I don't know anything about fabric, how do I know which will be best for my dress?

I have been a fabric freak ever since I was a little girl. I will recommend a few different fabrics that I think will suit the design well after our initial consultation, and will share swatches with you to help you make the final decision. If I ever have reservations about the suitability of a certain material for your design, I'll let you know what they are and we can walk through our other options to ensure that the design not only fits your vision, but will maintain its integrity through materials and craftsmanship.

Can I have a dress made in a color other than white?

Of course!

I want to combine elements from a bunch of different dresses, is that possible?

Definitely! When you have scheduled a custom consultation, bring in any images of dresses, fabrics, textures- anything that inspires you! We can figure out a way to marry all of those elements harmoniously to create a gown that is beautiful and unique.

I noticed you carry a line of gowns. Do we have to work from one of those, or how much freedom do I have in designing my gown?

I do feature a line of readymade dresses called "Frill," designed by Portland, Oregon based designer Sarah Mansfield. Sarah's dresses feature fine silk and silk-blend fabrics crafted into simple and elegant silhouettes. Many brides use them as a base for their own embellishment ideas because it is easy to see what the dress will look like when it is finalized.
Some brides love one element of a dress and use that as a jumping off point for a custom piece. You as the bride have all the freedom in the world to embellish one of the dresses from the "Frill" line, or we can start from scratch and see where our imaginations take us!

I would like to wear my mother's/grandmother's/auntie's vintage wedding gown. Can we transform it to make it look a little more modern?

Restyling vintage gowns can be tricky, but with a bit of brainstorming we can usually come up with something beautiful and modern that will still maintain the integrity and feel of the original gown. Before setting your heart on this option, inspect the gown to see what kind of condition the fabric is in and how close to your size the dress is. Bring the dress in and try it on, we'll discuss any design ideas and try to sniff out any obstacles we may run into in the process. Sometimes it's just a matter of a little alteration, sometimes we end up taking the whole thing apart and re-cutting it. Just as with starting the dress from scratch, come with plenty of ideas and an imagination!

I tend to gain/lose weight when I'm stressed. Will the dress fit on my wedding day?

The dress is cut to your body measurements. The final fitting of the dress is within 2 weeks of the event date. Any dramatic change in body shape (weight loss or gain, augmentation, pregnancy), however, should be reported to the designer as soon as possible! We don't want to have to remake the dress!